A variety of types of power supplies (also called power converters) provide an approximately constant (e.g., DC or “direct current”) output voltage from a sinusoidal (e.g., AC or “alternating current”) input voltage (e.g., from an AC mains source), thus providing AC-DC conversion (also called “rectification”). Other types of power supplies provide AC-AC conversion, DC-DC conversion, or DC-AC conversion (also called “inversion”). Some power supplies include multiple stages, which may include a combination of different types of converters, such as a DC-DC converter stage within a DC-AC power supply. Converter stages that provide a DC voltage may use a regulator to maintain the DC voltage near a constant value. A linear power supply uses a linear regulator, and a switched-mode (or “switching”) power supply uses a switching regulator that switches between on and off states to regulate power transfer and maintain the DC voltage.
Current sensing may be useful in power supply circuits, as well as other circuit topologies.